Latest news with #Gillis
New York Post
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Shane Gillis reveals the celeb who couldn't stop laughing at his ESPYs jokes
Shane Gillis had at least one celebrity in stitches last week during his ESPYs monologue, which was delivered to a mixed reception from audience members. Addressing his experience as host of the ESPYs, Gillis revealed that Busta Rhymes laughed during the nearly 10-minute opening monologue that included jokes touching on everything from Caitlin Clark to Aaron Rodgers to President Donald Trump. 'The one person laughing my entire monologue was Busta Rhymes,' Gillis said on his 'Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast,' which released on Monday. 'And while I was up there, I kept, like, looking over to be like, 'Yes. Yes. Yes.' I don't care how badly this is going, just seeing Busta Rhymes like…Yes. Yes. Yes.' Advertisement Host Shane Gillis speaks at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre. AP The comedian had also addressed the joke in which he duped the audience into clapping for 'four-time WNBA All-Star Brittany Hicks,' who was really just his friend Matt McCusker's wife when the camera panned to her. Advertisement The joke was among several of the more controversial bits during Gillis' act. Gillis had said during the podcast that there were several other sports that a joke like that would have worked with as well. 'You could've been like, '10-time All-Star, NHL legend Matt McCusker,' and they would've been like, 'For sure,'' Gillis said. Busta Rhymes performs onstage during the 2025 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre. Getty Images Advertisement He later added, 'I knew they would clap. I would have clapped. Anybody on earth would clap.' Gillis' monologue drew plenty of reaction with several ex-ESPNers hitting out at the comic's jokes, including Sarah Spain and Dan Le Batard. However, ESPN appeared to stand behind Gillis following the show, knowing that his comedic stylings weren't going to be for everyone. While ESPN was likely hoping that Gillis' presence would draw a new audience, the ESPYs saw a dip in viewership from the previous year by 22 percent, according to Sports Media Watch.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shane Gillis' 10 Best Jokes at the ESPY Awards (Critic's Picks)
'I see a lot of you don't like me and that's okay,' Shane Gillis told the crowd of sports superstars and celebrities at the 2025 ESPY Awards on July 16. Spoken like a true comedian. More from Billboard YURIYAN RETRIEVER Talks Debut Solo Single & Ambition to Become a Genre of Her Own Questlove to Be Honored With 'SummerStage Icon Award' at 2025 City Parks Foundation Benefit 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' Ending After 2025-26 Season: 'I Found Out Just Last Night,' Host Says Even before the stand-up star's monologue was over, the internet was awash in shocked posts about his jokes — and the cameras at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles showed plenty of double takes in the audience — but from a pure comedy perspective, Gillis killed way more than he missed, and his onstage moments brought an energy and tension to a production that was filled with many canned acceptance speeches that were oddly free of emotion. When a joke didn't land or drew a mixed response — there were some boos in the crowd — Gillis sometimes claimed he hadn't written it. But given his unapologetic comic style, he might have been tweaking another comic, Jo Koy, who blamed his writers for the many jokes that bombed during his monologue at the 2024 Golden Globes. Throughout the ceremony, which included performances by Clipse, Busta Rhymes and GELO, Gillis — who hails from Mechanicsburg, Pa.,(about a two-hour drive from Philadelphia), namechecked his favorite NFL team, the Eagles, with, 'Go Birds,' and late in the production went all out when comparing the team to the other nominees for the best team ESPY. 'I bet you guys think, as an Eagles fan, I'm going to trash all of the other nominees. Far from it,' Gillis said with his trademark wait-for-it grin. 'I think this race is wide open,' he said before comparing the team to the other candidates and one that was not. 'One of the nominees for the best team this year is the Dallas Cowboys. No, I'm joking, obviously. Dallas sucks,' he said, uttering the chant usually heard at games between the Eagles and their decades-long rival. 'Only real teams are up for best team.' The Eagles did take home the best team award, as well as the best play and best NFL player honors for running back Saquon Barkley and his mind-blowing reverse hurdle over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones last season. Gillis' boosterism was not lost on the Eagles' offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, who accepted the best team award and dubbed the comedian the team's 'sixth offensive lineman' — which, if it wasn't a joke, could have been. For those who didn't catch the awards, here are Gillis' 10 best jokes in descending order. And while the saying goes that if a joke needs to be explained, it's not funny, background is included for those who don't follow sports. 10. Norm Macdonald 'There's one thing I want to say before I get out of here, and this is a dumb joke, you guys aren't going to like it — it's just a Norm Macdonald joke that I loved when he hosted the ESPYS [in 1998] and I'm going to do it now,' Gillis said. '[Colorado Buffalo] Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy this year. He's the first defensive player since Charles Woodson to win the Heisman. Congratulations, Travis Hunter. Winning the Heisman, that's something they can never take away from you, unless you kill your wife and a waiter. In which case, they can take that away from you.' Sportsplainer: Although O.J. Simpson was acquitted in criminal court of the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman — who was a waiter — in 1997, a civil trial found him liable for their deaths, and the Heisman he won in 1968, was auctioned off to help pay for the more than $33 million that was award to the victims families in compensatory and punitive damages. It's also worth noting that Macdonald, who died in 2021, is a hero among comics for his deadpan, unflinching comedy, which during his stint as Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update anchor often included him referring to Simpson as a 'murderer' with no 'alleged' attached. The same year that Macdonald hosted the ESPYs, Don Ohlmeyer, the president of NBC's West coast division, removed Macdonald as Update anchor, citing declining ratings. Macdonald alleged, however, that the real reason had to do with Ohlmeyer's friendship with Simpson. 9. Jake Paul 'It's crazy to be in this room with so many legends,' Gillis said. 'Sugar Ray Leonard's here, hell yeah. Sugar Ray, you're the man, but in 10 years, Jake Paul's gonna try to knock you out, so take it easy.' Sportsplainer: A number of the 28-year-old social media star-turned-boxer's fights have pitted him against Paul's last two fights pitted him against aging pugilists born in the 1980s (Tyron Woodley), '70s (Anderson Silva) and even '60s (Mike Tyson), which some attribute to his 12-1 record. Leonard was born in 1956, a decade that Paul has yet to exploit. 8. WNBA 'Four-time WNBA all-star Brittany Hicks is here. Give it up for Brittany, everybody. I'm joking around, that's my friend's wife. I knew none of you knew WNBA players. That's crazy you [clapped for] it.' Sportsplainer: Despite a surfeit of press reporting that the WNBA now enjoys the same level of popularity as the male version, Gillis' joke may have proven otherwise. The crowd did give it up, mildly, for Hicks, but she's the wife of his comedian friend Matt McCusker and not in the WNBA. 7. Shedeur Sanders 'Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year, and people are saying it's because of nepotism, because of his father, and it's not. It's because he went 13 and 12 over his career and he almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism, right?' Sportsplainer: Sanders wasn't in the ESPYs audience, which was probably a good thing. He's already endured plenty of jibes for being a fifth-round draft pick (by the Cleveland Browns) after much speculation that he was destined to be chosen in the first. That was followed by conjecture that his father, Deion Sanders, who coached his son's team, the University of Colorado Boulder's Buffaloes during the two seasons he was there, had hurt Shedeur's prospects by over-hyping him behind the scenes. The school's decision to retire Shedeur's jersey after just two seasons also proved controversial given his stats, and because former Buffaloes QB Darian Hagan, who had a 28-5-2 record and took the team to the national championship in 1990, has not had his jersey retired. To be fair to Shedeur, the Buffaloes went 1-11 the season before he arrived, and he has broken over 100 school records. (And his actual win-loss record is 13-11.) 6. Caitlin Clark 'Caitlin Clark, she and I have a lot in common. We're both whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of threes.' Sportsplainer: Although Clark's 29% WNBA three-point basket average is down from the 34% she posted last year, she remains near the top of the competition and will participate in the three-point contest that takes place July 17 during the upcoming WNBA All-Star Weekend. Gillis' was talking about a different kind of scoring when he referenced himself, which resulted in some wincing and murmuring from the crowd. But as he said in response, 'Lighten up a little, this is not serious.' 5. DeShaun Watson 'Skip that joke. Please skip that joke. All right bring it back. I'll tell that joke. I didn't write this. 'Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,' is what they say when DeShaun Watson gets a massage.' Sportsplainer: This one ranks high for sheer ballsiness. Gillis made the joke — which name-checks the title of a Busta Rhymes track — following Rhymes performance on the show, and the audience sounded like it had been punched in the gut. The reason: Beginning in 2021, more than 20 women filed civil lawsuits accusing the former Houston Texans quarterback of sexually inappropriate conduct or sexual assault during massages. (In 2021, Watson wrote on X that he had 'never treated any woman with anything [other] than the utmost respect.' and settled most of the suits.) 'I disagree as well,' Gillis said with a smile when he heard the reaction. 'I swear to god I didn't want to tell it.' But he did. 4. Aaron Rodgers 'Aaron Rodgers didn't take the [Covid 19] vaccine because he predicted it would be bad for him. And then he joined the New York Jets. So maybe he wasn't right about everything.' Sportsplainer: Rodgers sat out his first season with the Jets after suffering an Achilles injury in the first game. During the 2024 season, he led the team to a dismal 5-12 record and was released early this year. He is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 3. Juan Soto 'Joe Rogan actually wanted me to be here to host this award show so that I could capture [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver because Joe thinks he's an alien. And Donald Trump wanted me to be here to capture Juan Soto for the same reason.' Sportsplainer: Actually, this was more of a political joke about the Trump administration's reportedly indiscriminate arrests of immigrants than a poke at the New York Mets' Dominican outfielder, whose $765 million contract is the largest in sports history. 2. Jeffrey Epstein 'Donald Trump wants to stage a UFC fight on the White House lawn. The last time he staged a fight in D.C., Mike Pence almost died,' Gillis said. 'Actually, there was supposed to be an [Jeffrey] Epstein joke here, but it got deleted. Must have probably deleted itself, right? Probably never existed, actually. Let's move on as a country and ignore that.' Sportsplainer: An even-more-timely Trump joke about the U.S. president and his administration's backtracking on its promises to reveal all about the late sex offender Epstein, which has sparked a firestorm of criticism from the MAGA media and the commander-in-chief's conspiracy-minded supporters, who are convinced there exists a list of powerful figures who joined Epstein in sexually abusing minors, and that the financier did not commit suicide in prison but rather was murdered. 1. Bill Belichick 'Shohei Ohtani couldn't make it tonight. Man, I hope his interpreter didn't bet that he was going to be here. Shohei is a once-in-a-generation talent. No one's been able to do what he does at so many positions. Pitcher, hitter and bookie. A bookie is what Bill Belichick reads to his girlfriend before bedtime. They do. They read, uh, The Very Horny Caterpillar, The Little Engine That Could But Needed a Pill First, and of course, the classic Goodnight Boobs.' Sportsplainer: 'That was my favorite one,' Gillis said after telling the joke, and the burst of laughter that came back to him said the audience agreed. The Ohtani lead-in was a throwaway reference to the Los Angeles Dodger phenomenon's interpreter, who was sentenced to nearly 5 years in federal prison for stealing $17 million from the Major League superstar and using the ill-gotten gains to place illegal bets. The punchline that killed was Gillis' reference to the 73-year-old former head coach of the New England Patriots (now guiding the University of North Carolina's football team) and his new 24-year-old girlfriend, former cheerleader Jordon Hudson. Best of Billboard Drake's Historic Chart Week: How He Matched The Beatles' 57-Year-Old Record How Elton John Keeps Up His Hot 100 Hot Streak With Dua Lipa Duet 'Cold Heart' Pink's 'All I Know So Far' Has Us Looking Back at the History of Live Music on the Charts Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Michigan football gets trolled at ESPYs by host Shane Gillis
Shane Gillis has jokes for Ohio State and Michigan 😅 The annual ESPY Awards (think equivalent to the Oscars for acting) took place on ESPN on Wednesday night for the sports world, and it was another entertaining night where things like "Team of the Year" and "Male Athlete of the Year" were handed out. The Ohio State football team was nominated for the "Team of the Year" for its College Football Playoff national championship run, but that award instead went to the Philadelphia Eagles for winning the Super Bowl. But not all was lost for Buckeye fans because anytime an unbiased observer dunks on Michigan, it's worth the price in gold. And that's exactly what happened when host Shane Gillis went on a sidebar to criticize the Wolverines for the alleged cheating surrounding the Connor Stalions sign-stealing allegations. While taking a bit of a stab at Ohio State and Will Howard by congratulating them for winning the national championship, but who also "lost to Michigan," Gillis then went on a quick rant about the That Team Up North. 'Michigan, who didn't cheat this time. Beat them fair and square,' Gillis said. He then went a little further. "Are we ever going to hold accountable (talking of Michigan)? Yeah, whatever, they're allowed to cheat, no repercussions.' Joking or not, the runway for the advanced sign-stealing allegations appears to finally be wearing out. The NCAA Committee on Infractions had a hearing with Michigan on June 6 and 7, and that would mean that we should hear a final ruling by September 9 -- just in time for the start of the football season. We are all still waiting. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
New York Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
ESPN isn't worried about any Shane Gillis backlash over ESPYs monologue
Shane Gillis' monologue at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night has left plenty of people divided over the contents of the jokes, but the Disney-owned sports network isn't concerned about the reaction that Gillis' routine received, The Post has confirmed. During his roughly 10-minute opening, Gillis poked fun at just about everyone from popular sports figures to President Donald Trump in a biting opening sequence to kick off the annual sports award show. The Worldwide Leader always knew Gillis' comedic stylings weren't going to be for everyone, as TMZ first reported, but there were no worries about the 'Tires' star who has worked with the network on its 'College GameDay' show. 3 Host Shane Gillis speaks at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. AP ESPN declined comment when reached by The Post. Among the topics that Gillis touched upon were Trump, Caitlin Clark, Aaron Rodgers and Jeffrey Epstein. The well-known comedian received mixed reactions during his eyebrow-raising opening remarks. Gillis asserted that women's soccer legend Megan Rapinoe was not a 'good time' in one of his first quips of the night and later joked that he and Clark, the WNBA superstar, had a lot in common because they were both 'whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of 3s.' 3 Host Shane Gillis, top right, speaks at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. AP 'When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she's going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most, fist fighting black women,' he continued. In one of his most well-received jokes of the night, he aimed Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson after making a Shohei Ohtani joke related to his disgraced interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. 'A bookie is what Bill Belichick reads to his girlfriend before bedtime,' Gillis said on stage before launching into a list of crude titles for classic books. At least one former ESPNer didn't enjoy the show. 3 Nick Sirianni, Josh Sweat, Jalen Carter, and Jordan Mailata accept the Best Team Award from Druski and Shane Gillis onstage during the 2025 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 16, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Getty Images 'In a year of crazy growth for women's sports choosing an ESPYs host who doesn't even try to make clever jokes about women athletes (he at least *attempted* for the men),' Sarah Spain wrote on X on Thursday, 'he goes with hacky 'no one knows the WNBA' bits, 'Pinoe is a bad time' & repeatedly insults Black women. COOL.'
New York Post
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Shane Gillis' hilarious ESPYs set was a litmus test for our uptight culture
Shane Gillis took a bite out of sports' biggest names during his opening monologue at Wednesday night's ESPY Awards. And it was a real sign of cultural health. The performance felt like an infusion of wheatgrass — cleansing out the residual crud left over from more than a decade of hyper-political correctness. The comedian went after everyone, slaughtering sacred cows on both sides of the political aisle and from all sensibilities. He mocked Shedeur Sanders' nepotism, Simone Biles' height, Aaron Rodgers' vaccine resistance, Shohei Ohtani's gambling scandal, the WNBA and professional girlfriend Jordon Hudson. Even Caitlin Clark made it into some zesty one-liners. 6 Comedian Shane Gillis roasted the sports world as host of the 2025 ESPY Awards. Getty Images And then there was Donald Trump, whose Hall of Fame-worthy way of inserting himself into nearly every big sports moment made him a prime target. Gillis' line about an Epstein joke getting deleted from his script was aimed at the current administration. 'Probably never existed actually, let's move on as a country and ignore that,' Gillis said. Right out of the gate, the comedian made clear that there would be no genuflecting when he name-dropped one of the most insufferable athletes of our time. 'Megan Rapinoe could not make it tonight,' he said before adding: 'Nice.' When only a few chuckled, he quipped, 'No? We're going to pretend she's a good time? All right.' 6 Matt McCusker and his wife Brittany Hicks laughed after Gillis told the crowd she was a WNBA All-Star — and they erupted into applause. @KFCBarstool/X This night of irreverence felt especially poignant because the sports world, judging from its stony-faced reactions, seems to have not made it through our country's so-called vibe shift without serious PTSD. As Gillis dropped gem after gem, the audience offered restrained feedback — lest they were caught giggling at anyone's expense. And for the viewers at home, it was also a litmus test: If you were offended by the jokes about the WNBA or Trump, perhaps you're too entrenched in your chosen echo chamber. 6 Gillis joked that both he and Caitlin Clark are 'whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of 3s.' NBAE via Getty Images Remove the stick from your bottom. That goes for former ESPN personality Sarah Spain, who whinged on behalf of the more-progressive-than-thou set, writing on X: 'In a year of crazy growth for women's sports choosing an ESPYs host who doesn't even try to make clever jokes about women athletes (he at least *attempted* for the men) he goes with hacky 'no one knows the WNBA' bits, 'Pinoe is a bad time' & repeatedly insults Black women. COOL.' A piece in New York Magazine's The Cut read, 'Who Let Shane Gillis Talk about the WNBA?' — as if it's a precious entity that should be bubble-wrapped. Admittedly, I'm a massive fan of most anything Gillis Pennsylvania native is wildly funny because of his relatability and everyman humor. There's a lightness to his barbs; he is laughing along with you and critiquing himself in real time. He even kept a running commentary about the finicky reception. 6 Donald Trump, who regularly inserts himself into every big sports moment, was roasted by Gillis. AP 'This is not serious,' he quipped during a particularly stingy moment from the audience. Gillis has never shied away from third-rail subjects like race in sports (see his Alabama football desegregation bit) and joked that he and Clark have a lot in common. 'We're both whites from the Midwest who have nailed a bunch of 3s,' he said. 'When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she's going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most — fist-fighting black women.' Then he went in on Trump, saying the president knows nothing about sports. 'Every time a team comes to visit the White House, he's like, 'And you must be the guy who catches. Look at these guys, big guys, black guys.' 'And that's just when the New York Liberty visited. 6 Gillis made jokes about Simone Biles' petite stature. AP 'They didn't visit. That's just a joke.' Then came the finest moment of the night, when the audience told on themselves. 'Four-time WNBA All-Star Brittany Hicks is here. Everybody, give it up for Brittany,' Gillis said as the camera panned to an attractive black woman in a pink dress. And cheers erupted — pandering cheers, it turns out. 'I'm joking around, that's my friend's wife,' Gillis revealed. 'I knew none of you knew WNBA players. That's crazy you clapped for that.' 6 Shane Gillis and girlfriend Grace Brassel walked the red carpet before he carpet-bombed the sports world with insults. WireImage Hicks was clearly the best sport of the night. The show wasn't a convention of accountants. It was a gathering of the top athletes and other figures in sports. If anyone should know a four-time WNBA All-Star, it's the people in this room. But they've been conditioned to reflexively celebrate women just because they're women. It makes them feel like good people. Gillis finished with a nod to the late Norm Macdonald, whose brilliant hosting job at the 1998 ESPYs left us all so uncomfortable in the best way — an auspicious sign that the good guys are winning.
